Vacation Rental Hosts’ Guide to Tripadvisor Rentals
Last updated: September 2024
Tripadvisor has discontinued the vacation rental segment of its business. Vacation rental bookings with check-in dates on or after November 1, 2024 have been cancelled and refunded.
As a vacation rental host or property manager, you have numerous options when it comes to booking platforms to list on. You probably know that you need to list on Airbnb and Vrbo. But have you covered all your bases?
If you don’t already list on Tripadvisor, this is an excellent platform to add to your distribution list, giving you access to a massive global traveler base. Let’s take a closer look at how Tripadvisor Rentals works, the benefits it can bring to your business, and how to list your property here.
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What is Tripadvisor?
Tripadvisor is an American online travel company specializing in the hospitality and restaurant industry.
The website has over 460 million unique visitors who turn to Tripadvisor to book accommodations, flights, restaurants, and activities each month.
Tripadvisor’s core business, and the reason for its popularity, comes down to user-generated reviews. Millions of travelers use the reviews on Tripadvisor to help them make decisions about where to eat or stay. This alone shows why having a good reputation on Tripadvisor can make a huge difference to your business success.
The different filters and search options on Tripadvisor help users find the exact type of restaurant, accommodation, or travel option they’re looking for. At the same time, visitors can compare hotels, restaurants, and vacation rentals in the area through reviews and star ratings.
How does Tripadvisor Rentals work?
A subset of Tripadvisor, Tripadvisor Rentals is a platform where vacation rental owners and property managers can list their properties, from private rooms to entire villas.
Because Tripadvisor Rentals houses a family of international brands (including FlipKey, Holiday Lettings, Niumba, Vacation Home Rentals, and HouseTrip), it offers hosts and property managers exposure to millions of potential guests.
These guests can browse Tripadvisor’s short-term rentals in specific locations, check reviews, and book their stay. But that’s not all—they can also use Tripadvisor to book flights, activities, and restaurants, planning their entire trip in one place.
Benefits of listing on Tripadvisor
What makes Tripadvisor worth listing on? Vacation rental businesses that list on Tripadvisor can expect:
- Increased visibility: Tripadvisor’s family of international brands help gain you access to over 460 million unique monthly visitors.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): Tripadvisor has implemented paid algorithms and tools to guarantee its users enhanced SEO.
- Enhanced credibility: Boost your credibility by listing on a platform that prioritizes guest reviews and try for Tripadvisor’s “Travelers’ Choice” award.
- Low fees: There’s no cost to list on Tripadvisor, and their booking fee is just 3%.
Essentially, listing on Tripadvisor is going to help you reach more guests, fill your reservation calendar, and increase your profits.
How to list a vacation rental on Tripadvisor
Now that you know the many benefits Tripadvisor offers, how do you get started? Let’s take a look at how to list a property on Tripadvisor below.
Note that, according to the Tripadvisor Rentals site, they have currently suspended the onboarding of new owners. It’s unclear when onboarding for new owners will reopen.
1. Create an account
First, create an account. Make sure you have your phone handy—Tripadvisor will be sending you some text messages throughout the registration process.
2. Add your property location
Be sure to include the full address. You have the option of choosing whether guests can find the exact location on the map or see the location area. This enables travelers to search for rentals by destination.
3. Fill in the property details
This includes information such as property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities, maximum occupancy, and a property description. Remember to write an attractive description that will help your property stand out!
4. Set your rates, taxes, and fees
You’ll have options to set nightly, weekly, monthly, and seasonal rates as well as a minimum night stay and currency. There are advanced settings that allow you to charge a higher amount for groups or require a checkout or changeover day.
You can also add extra fees such as a cleaning fee or a custom fee of your choice. For taxes and fees, you must put the percentage of local taxes that need to be collected. Tripadvisor is not responsible for taxes—you must collect and pay them yourself.
5. Define your booking policies
In this section, you’ll set any policies you want your guests to have to comply with, such as:
- Booking deposit: You have the option to take a percentage of the total due at the time of booking, and can choose when the balance is due.
- Cancellation policies: Choose between relaxed, flexible, moderate, strict, and super strict cancellation policies.
- Rental agreement: Use Tripadvisor’s standard rental agreement or implement your own. (If you choose to create your own, here’s a short-term rental agreement template to get you started.)
- Damage deposit: Select the amount you can claim in case the guests cause damage.
- Guest requirements: Specify the guest requirements, whether the rental is suitable for kids and pets, and whether smoking is permitted onsite. You can also add your own house rules, if you have them.
- Arrival and departure times: Set specific check-in and check-out times for guests, or choose to have flexible times.
6. Add photos
This is one of the most important steps to show off your rental and attract guests. Be sure to use professional photos and highlight all of the rooms and areas of your property, as well as the most important amenities.
7. Update your payment settings
Choose how you’d like to be paid, whether via PayPal or a standard bank transfer. Tripadvisor will release all payments 24 hours after your guests check in.
Note that Tripadvisor will have to verify your phone number so they can text you in the case of future changes to payout settings.
8. Review and post
Before finalizing your listing, you’ll want to review everything to make sure it’s all complete and accurate. Once you’re done reviewing and have verified your email and phone number through SMS verification, you’ll be ready to start accepting bookings!
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to post on Tripadvisor?
It’s completely free to post your vacation rental on Tripadvisor. However, Tripadvisor will deduct 3% from your guests’ payments.
What is the difference between Tripadvisor and Airbnb?
Tripadvisor and Airbnb are both booking platforms for vacation rentals, but there are some key differences between the two. For example, Airbnb is dedicated solely to vacation rentals and experiences, whereas Tripadvisor also advertises hotels, flights, restaurants, and activities.
Why is my listing not showing on Tripadvisor?
If you just posted your listing, chances are that you need to wait a bit longer to see it. It can take an additional 48 hours after posting your listing for it to be visible on Tripadvisor’s network of sites.
Get started on Tripadvisor Rentals
There you have it—considering the massive visibility it can lend your property and just how easy (and affordable) it is to use, why wouldn’t you list on Tripadvisor?
If you need help managing your booking platforms now that you’ve added yet another, keep Lodgify’s channel manager in mind. With Lodgify, you can easily connect all your third-party booking channels (including Tripadvisor) as well as your direct booking site to automatically sync your calendars and prevent double bookings.
Want to give Lodgify a try? Sign up for a free seven-day trial or demo today!
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